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Phoenixes
Phoenixes are large birds native to Corvus. In appearance they are largely eagle-like, but with some characteristics of other birds as well. Despite their size, they are capable of flight and serve as aerial mounts to the Corvid fireknights. Most phoenixes live in mews alongside these knights, but others live in the wild. Phoenixes are endowed with the remarkable ability to live thousands of years through self-immolation and rebirth into a new chick’s body at the end of each lifetime. They are considered holy creatures and said to be gifted as allies to the people of Corvus by Lord Woo himself to help secure the southern border against Courdon. Corvus Houses take their colors from the phoenix ridden by the initial founder of the House. Morphology Phoenixes are very large birds, standing around six feet in height and with large wingspans to match. They greatly resemble raptors in build, with sharp talons and hooked beaks, though in a departure from the raptor-like body structure, phoenixes also have very long necks like a swan's. Their tails are rather long and have a slight fork, similar to that of a red kite. Phoenixes come in ten color-pairs, each one made up of a primary and a tipping color. The primary shade describes most of the feathers, but a slightly iridescent accent color appears on the edges of a phoenix’s wing and tail feathers, as well as in bars at the tip of their tails. Some phoenixes have additional tipping on the feathers on the back of their legs, but not all. Phoenix feathers have an uncanny coolness to the touch that lingers a while even after the feather falls off the phoenix. The pairings of primary and accent color are fixed and do not cross; even when phoenixes of two different Houses have a hatchling, the chick will inherit only their mother’s colors (though in the early generations of phoenixes, in which there were many more phoenixes laying eggs, the young could be born with either the mother or father’s colors). Behavior As with any species, individual phoenixes have unique personalities; as a general rule, however, they are calm, friendly, intelligent creatures - fierce when provoked but very gentle with allies. Their temperments, especially those of young phoenixes, are sometimes compared to dogs; they do posess similarly good people-reading skills, loyalty, and playfullness. Older phoenixes may be more reserved and less boistrous. Most phoenixes are very vocally expressive, with a wide range of chirps, twitters, hoots, whitles, shrieks, and other noises. Like songbirds, they'll sing as well, often simply apparently for the pleasure of it. Other times, recognizing a moment of grief, they will sing more sorrowfully. Also a common tool of communication is touch, particularly nudges with the beak or head. Many mews phoenixes are also fond of cuddling, and a common way to get on a phoenix's good side is to give it a careful scratch under the feathers. Wild phoenixes can be very unlike their tame counterparts; though none have ever attacked humans, they tend to be leery of them and respond by retreating when one tries to get close. This makes it difficult to say much about how phoenixes live in the wild, though they seem to form small flocks in order to care for reincarnated youngsters. Magical Abilities Reincarnation At the end of a phoenix’s life, whether it’s from grievous injury, illness, or simply old age, a phoenix will self-immolate with an intense fire, reducing itself to ashes and a phoenix chick. The young bird will grow up just like any other hatchling, until it reaches adolescence and starts regaining memories of its previous lives. There does not seem to be a limit on the number of times a phoenix can reincarnate, but of course, a phoenix must remain alive long enough to set itself aflame and completely burn or it will simply pass on. Presumably to balance out the effects of an essentially immortal population, phoenixes have an extremely low birthrate. When they do reproduce, a female phoenix lays an egg and a new hatchling emerges from it. Though it’s said that when phoenixes first came to Avani, newly-hatched phoenixes could inherit either of their parents’ color schemes, in modern times chicks exclusively inherit the mother’s coloration. Burning Feathers Phoenixes can set themselves on fire not only to reincarnate, but also to aid in combat. They can light what is apparently a painless flame on their wings and tail feathers, and then use this flame to scorch or burn enemies simply by flying by them. A phoenix can also channel a lightning strike into even hotter and more intense flames. Most phoenixes burn red-orange flames, but the blue-tipped phoenixes of Houses Escalus and Oberon burn with a blue-white fire. Spell Resistance Phoenixes have a natural resistance to many hostile spells, particularly those that strike with magic - such as stinging hexes, pain spells, and force spells. The phoenix’s feathers may somehow be able to catch, part, and deflect this magic, as a spreading shimmer effect can be seen when a phoenix is struck by and negates a spell. They are not immune to all hostile magic by any means, however, and are certainly still vulnerable to attacks by physical objects manipulated with magic. Speed Despite their large size, phoenixes are remarkably fast, more so than would seem possible based strictly on biology. For this reason, phoenixes are often used to send messages or retrieve people in emergency situations that are some distance away. It is also what enables a territory to be properly patrolled by a single base of fireknights. Fireknights See full article: Fireknights Fireknights are a unique military branch whose members ride phoenixes. Their name comes from their mounts’ penchant for setting themselves aflame to do combat; fireknight armor is, appropriately, enchanted to be fireproof and highly heat-resistant. Their armor also possesses a face-mask to filter out smoke from the air, and goggles to keep away ash. Phoenixes are actually very social animals, and they particularly seem to enjoy the company and attention of humans (though all phoenixes are individuals with their own quirks of personality; some may be shy and reserved, while others may be outgoing and enthusiastically friendly). A fireknight and his phoenix bond very closely through training, fighting, and the regular care a knight provides his mount. Said care includes feeding, grooming, and maintaining the phoenix’s mews stall. Phoenixes eat mostly meat, though fireknights will give their birds treats in the forms of fruit, bread, and seeds. While phoenixes are capable of giving themselves dust-baths and preening their feathers, being so large the help of human hands in straightening and cleaning debris from feathers is much appreciated, and for the phoenixes especially is a way to bond. Fireknights will also, with the help of experienced healers, tend to any wounds their phoenix receives in combat or accidents. Because they bond so closely, the death of a phoenix’s partner takes a heavy emotional toll on the bird. Like humans, they enter a grieving period and often isolate themselves except from a few trusted people and phoenixes. The grief of each loss is only magnified by the fact that a phoenix can experience many such deaths over the course of its many lives; some phoenixes have been known to simply leave the mews not long after a rider’s death. While some eventually return to the fireknights, others do not and remain living in seclusion in the wild, with the possible exception of other phoenixes. Cultural Significance Phoenixes are hugely important to Corvids, and can be found in some form or another throughout the region. Phoenixes are the subject of many pieces of Corvid art and decoration, including the mosaics, murals, and statues of Solis. Corvid jewelry and clothes may also carry phoenix or phoenix-related shapes and designs. Each Corvid House takes its colors from the phoenix ridden by its founder, and most, if not all, of their emblems feature bird-related imagery; while some could be assumed to be indicative of all birds, the icons of Houses Jade, Accipiter, Oberon, and Cressida, are specifically based on phoenixes. The Emberwing Championship is a biyearly competition between the fireknights of all regions of Corvus. After a race across the province on phoenix-back to be the first to light the ceremonial fire, a few days of friendly competition in various fireknight and phoenix skills ensues, with winners declared for each event. Canon Phoenixes *Mirja - Female Jade phoenix, ridden by Anders Escalus *Tamir - Male Jade phoenix, ridden by Cai Shahar *Shachar - Male Jade phoenix, ridden by Kendrick Leighton *Aubrey - Female Accipiter phoenix, ridden by Astor Malpass *Lavern - Female Accipiter phoenix, partner unknown (appears in Only Magic: Chapter Sixteen) Trivia *Phoenixes are given names of Hebrew origin Category:Medieval